The present invention relates to a ladder support device that attaches to a moving vehicle, such as a panel van or pickup truck. The device, which facilitates the transport and deployment of a ladder, can be used with a relatively long extension ladder, and provides a stable support for the ladder when it is deployed and extended.
Extension ladders are commonly used to allow workers to ascend to roofs, or other high points on buildings or billboards. These extension ladders can reach to heights of about 40 feet. Relatively short ladders can generally be handled by a single individual, but with heights of 30 to 40 feet two or more persons may be required to hoist the ladder from its transportation vehicle and into position against the building. Moreover, extremely long ladders tend to be more susceptible to motion in the wind, and require the user to be extremely cautious that the center of gravity of the ladder and user is not shifted so as to cause the ladder to xe2x80x9ckick outxe2x80x9d or slip from its properly mounted position.
Previous attempts have been made to find relatively easy means of hoisting and mounting extension ladders, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,586,531, issued to Gordon; U.S. Pat. No. 3,043,398, issued to Bakula; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,408,680, issued to Ross. Each of the above patents describe devices that allow a ladder to be transported in the horizontal position, typically resting on the top of the transporting vehicle, and then allow the ladder to be deployed into a vertical position at the work site. The device of the ""531 patent includes a modified vehicle bumper with pockets which accept the feet of the ladder, and angled rails which hold the ladder in the desired upright position. The devices of the ""398 and ""680 patents secure the base of the essentially vertical ladder to the bumper, then rely on angled rails or cables to hold the extended ladder in position. In each of these cases, even with the ladder properly positioned, there is little support for the deployed ladder, so the user must be cautious when using the ladder in a strong breeze. Moreover, because the ladder is secured to the bumper of the transport vehicle, the vehicle must be properly positioned relative to the intended use site or the user will not be able to reach the building with the ladder in the vertical position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,725, issued to Griffin, and shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, describes a ladder brace that attaches to a moving vehicle, such as a panel van. The device includes a hinge (12) which attaches to the lower portion of a vehicle and allows the device to rotate approximately 90xc2x0 (from a position parallel to the ground (open) to a position that is perpendicular to the ground (closed)). Extending from the hinge (12) is a first pair of braces (14, 16) which intersect a second pair of braces (20, 22), forming two T-shaped structures. Support braces (24, 26) further connect the first braces (14, 16) to the second braces (20, 22); and two cross-members (28, 30) are positioned between the T-shaped structures. In use, a pivot pin (40) is threaded through the rung of a metal ladder to secure the ladder to the second braces of the device. When the ladder is deployed, a safety stop (32) can be positioned to abut against the lower portion of the ladder to revent the ladder from moving.
The device of the ""725 patent allows the ladder to be deployed in several positions xe2x80x94straight up, toward the rear of the vehicle, and away from the rear of the vehiclexe2x80x94and allows the ladder to be moved from the horizontal position to the vertical position by a single individual. However, the device of the ""725 patent requires that the vehicle be positioned directly in front of the work site so the ladder can be deployed at the proper angle to the site; does not provide for unexpected movement of the ladder, such as having a wind from the opposite direction causing the ladder to sway backward; does not provide an easy way for the user to alight to or descend from the ladder once it is in position, rather the user must step between the braces to reach the ladder; uses only the safety stop, which is near the base of the ladder, to secure the ladder in position; and is not designed to accommodate ladders of varying widths, which are common in the industry.
Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a ladder support device which can be secured to a vehicle, and used to transport a ladder on the vehicle in an essentially horizontal position; which can be deployed to an essentially vertical position by the user without assistance; which provides features which may be used to reduce the risk of the ladder tilting by more than a limited angular range, even in adverse weather conditions; which allows the user to easily alight to and descend from the ladder; and which can be deployed in varying angular relationships relative to the vehicle so that it is not necessary for the vehicle to be directly aligned with the intended work site.
The present invention relates to a ladder support device that attaches to a moving vehicle, such as a panel van or pickup truck. The device includes a ladder mounting section, adaptable for variable width and length extension ladders, and having safety brackets and skid pads; and a platform leading from a rotatable latch to the ladder mounting section. The safety brackets provide that a deployed and extended ladder will have a very limited range of motion, thereby minimizing the risks of the ladder kicking out or tilting. The skid pads allow the vehicle to be repositioned slightly, with the ladder deployed, for better access to the work site. The platform allows the user to gain secure footing before alighting to and upon descending from the ladder, and the rotatable mount at the end of the catwalk allows the ladder support device to be moved through a wide arc relative to the vehicle, thus allowing the ladder support to be moved into the proper work position even if the vehicle is at an angle other than directly in front of the work site. When attached to a towing hitch of a vehicle, the ladder support device is adapted such that the ladder mounted to the support can be transported on the vehicle in an essentially horizontal position and can be deployed to an essentially vertical position by the user without assistance.